1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for cutting and clamping an umbilical cord and for collecting a blood sample from the umbilical cord.
2. Technology Review
The current process in the delivery of infants requires that the umbilical cord be clamped and cut shortly after the moment of birth. The function of the cord is the transmission of nutrients and oxygen between the mother and child through blood flowing in the cord. The cord is engorged with blood at birth when severed by the obstetrician to free the infant from the mother. It is often difficult to clamp and cut the cord at the moment of birth because of fluid present, including blood and amniotic fluid from the mother, making physician's gloved hands slippery.
Samples of the blood in the cord are commonly collected at birth for chemical and biological assay to determine if the newborn is subject to possible genetically transmitted diseases. Two common methods are used to collect cord blood samples. These methods include draining the blood from the cut umbilical cord directly into an open vial or extracting the blood directly from the cord using a syringe and needle.
The draining method often requires the cord segment to be hand "milked" by squeezing the cord such that blood in the segment flows toward the sample vial. This "milking" action causes the flow of many contaminants in addition to the desired blood into the vial. Such contaminants may affect the testing of the cord blood sample. As the complexity and sensitivity of the genetic tests increase, the absence of contamination in the sample becomes more important.
The extracting method requires using a syringe and needle to remove the blood directed from the cord. The needle is used to puncture the cord and the syringe is used to collect a blood sample. Care must be taken to prevent inadvertent needle sticks which can lead to blood exposure.
It will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for improved devices and methods of clamping and cutting the umbilical cord and for obtaining an uncontaminated cord blood sample.
Such devices and methods are disclosed herein.